Riding through the outback on the Ghan

The three-day journey from Adelaide to Darwin is one of the world's great train journeys

The comfortable platinum and gold lounge in the Ghan train is the best place to meet other passengers.

Photograph by: Anna Maria D'angelo
, for Postmedia News

You don't have to spend long on board Australia's Ghan to understand why it is considered one of the great train journeys in the world.

The train gently rolls from one edge of the continent, through the vast and deserted outback and finishes in subtropics at the other end in an amazing three-day trip. Looking out the window at all these differing landscapes is mesmerizing. No wonder the Ghan is on the bucket list of many an Australian.

At some point, you have to take your eyes off the window and check out the train.

My travelling companion and I were one of the lucky ones who were staying in the platinum section. Our private cabin had plush carpet and was tastefully lined with Tasmanian Oak panelling and matching ottoman.

You get a view from both sides of the train from platinum seats and a Great Southern Rail attendant is available all the time.

The level of cabin below platinum is called gold service. These cabins are not as roomy but still private and comfortable with twin berths. Platinum and gold service passengers receive all-inclusive meals in an elegant dining car.

There was rarely a quiet moment in the lounge during the evening as some Australian passengers entertained with humour and little known facts about exactly what we were seeing out the train.

"The termite mounds always face north and south," said Peter, a sheep farmer from a huge acreage near Perth. He was right. This type of termite always build their mounds pointing north to provide cooling during the summer as there is always a side out of the sun.

The cheap seats on the Ghan are called red service. The red cars -at the far end of the train -are reminiscent of tour buses except the seats have a bit more floor space and are better reclining. Passengers share showers and washrooms. Meals are available for purchase in a cafeteria. The red seats are where you will find the backpackers.

The Ghan, pronounced by Aussies as rhyming with can, has a history going back to 1929 when it was the unreliable supply route from Adelaide to Alice Springs, the centre of the arid outback. The Ghan gets its name from Afghan cameleers who took up the slack by bringing supplies along stretches of the route before the rail line was completely built. The old rail line was made of narrow-gauge track with wood rails and situated near water sources because a steam engine needs water. But the old rail line was prone to flooding and rot by termites.

The original line was abandoned in 1980 and a new termite-proof line built to the west. In 2004, the Ghan was extended to the continent's northern edge.

We boarded the train on a warm February day in the friendly, beautiful seaside city of Adelaide. The train starts out travelling near South Australia's coast and then from Port Augusta heads into the outback.

February is wet season and the low season for Ghan riders.

Wet season in Australia this year was one of the worst in recent memory. Due to La Nina, major flooding caused widespread devastation in January in Queensland, and Cyclone Yasi tore up northern parts of the state in February. The start of our Ghan journey was delayed by one day as Cyclone Yasi leftovers had rolled over into the neighbouring Northern Territory and flooded out the Ghan tracks near Alice Springs.

On board the Ghan, we were told that the train might not make it to Darwin because of an "operational requirement" -read: The track is still flooded. On the second day, the train manager informed us that we would be Ghaning it to the town of Katherine, and bused from there about four hours to Darwin.

As we neared Katherine, we started to notice large tracks of water on the ubiquitous red earth. This wet season changed some of the landscapes considerably as we saw a lot of fresh green growth where train staff said was usually filled with brown plants.

BUDGET AND BOOKING TIPS

- Cost for platinum cabins is $3,000 per person one way, gold is $2,000, a red sleeper is $1,412 and red seat is $746.

- A Canadian Hostel International card that costs about $50 reduced red section fares to $943 and $378 respectively. There is no age limit, so anyone can join a hostel association, which get you lower rates at some tourist attractions.

- There is a cost reduction for seniors in the gold section but unfortunately that only applies to Australians.

- You can ask for an upgrade once on the train but there is no guarantee there will be space.

- Some Australian passengers were members of Great Southern Rail's "Train Trekkers" and got reduced fares through low season promotions.

- Book well in advance to ensure you get the seating you want. The train was almost full with only platinum and red seats left about two months before our trip, and this was in low season.

- Book online, but it's best to talk to a rail line rep before doing so to discuss how the trip will work best for you and to consider options for packages with side trips. You can take the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide for the same price.

WET-SEASON TRAVEL TIPS

- You can't predict the weather, so be prepared to change your itinerary.

- Extra charges will be added for flight and accommodation changes.

- Have a flexible itinerary, including with flight connections.

- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance is advisable.

- If tour or travel plans have been disrupted because of weather, request a letter from the operator, which will support a travel insurance claim.

- Stay on top of official weather warnings and enjoy Plan B if you need to.

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